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CME Group is bringing single-stock futures back from the dead, and this time they’re doing it at scale. The world’s largest derivatives exchange announced plans to launch futures contracts tied to more than 50 individual US stocks, set to go live on July 27, 2026, pending regulatory approval.
The lineup reads like a who’s who of the stock market: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Nvidia, and Tesla are all on the list.
What’s actually launching
CME is rolling out two flavors of contracts. There will be 55 standard-sized futures, each representing 100 shares of the underlying stock. For traders who want smaller exposure, 22 micro-sized contracts will represent just 10 shares each.
The underlying stocks are drawn from the S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, and Russell 1000. All contracts will trade on CME Globex for nearly 23 hours a day, giving traders the ability to react to overnight news without waiting for the opening bell.
Tim McCourt, CME’s Global Head of Equities, FX, and Alternative Products, has framed these contracts as a streamlined approach for investors to engage with individual stocks more efficiently.
Why this matters now
Single-stock futures aren’t a new concept. They existed in the US before, launched with considerable fanfare back in the early 2000s through a joint venture called OneChicago. That experiment fizzled out, largely because the regulatory framework at the time made the products clunky and the market wasn’t particularly interested.
CME first disclosed its plans for single-stock futures back in February 2026, signaling months of preparation for this summer launch. The fact that they’re responding to explicit institutional demand, rather than building it speculatively, suggests this iteration has a better chance of gaining traction.
What this means for investors
For institutional traders and sophisticated retail investors, these contracts open up a new toolkit for both hedging and speculation. Futures contracts inherently offer leverage, meaning you can control a large notional position with a fraction of the capital required to buy the shares outright.
The micro contracts lower the barrier to entry. A micro contract on a stock trading at $200 would represent just $2,000 in notional value. CME has seen enormous success with its micro product line across equity index futures, so applying the same playbook to individual stocks is a logical extension.
The launch notably excludes any crypto tokens or digital assets entirely.
The contracts are still pending final regulatory approval, and any conditions imposed could affect contract specifications or margin requirements.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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